Screenplay for our thriller opening

Screenplay are ultimately scripts however they also include camera shots. The screenplays are completed before the storyboard and are adapted as the filming process continues.

When writing a screen play:

• Include location, setting and time of day.
• Introduce characters and include a short description of who they are/what they look like.
• Include key dialogue between characters and details of their action and expressions.
• Include details of where the camera is in each scene.

The role of the screenwriter in the opening sequence of 'Jaws'.

Within the opening sequence of Jaws the screenplay is important as its the first blueprint of the film, it gives an indication of what will happen within the scene. It also gives the cameramen the different shots needed by the numbers written on the side. Therefore gives an indication of the storyline for the director to follow and improve on. This is shown when we watched the clip from the final product of Jaws, parts of this screenplay were followed through whilst other parts were removed and replaced with other ideas.

Convection of thriller films

Typical conventions:

• Low key dark lighting
• Dark clothing
• Dark house - often empty and abandoned 
• Phone ringing - often loud with an unpleasant ringtone
• Lights are on or flickering with no on in the building
• Usually lots of noises and movements
• Non-diegetic sounds 
• Often stated that it is a true story
• Isolated location
• Reverse zoom is frequently used

Thriller = This is a broad genre of literature, film and television. It includes numerous, often overlapping sub-genres.

Ingredients of thrillers:

• Fast paced, frequent action and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more powerful and better equipped villains. Literacy devices are used, such as suspense, red herrings and cliff-hangers.

Types of thrillers:

• Joy thrillers
• Conspiracy thrillers
• Psychological thrillers
• Political thrillers
• Medical thrillers
• Horror thrillers
• Military thrillers
• Forensic thrillers
• Action thrillers

Hyprias = there is not just one type of thriller.

Cheap surprise = an early shock generated by a sudden unexpected action/movement/sound,

Lighting Practice

3-point fill lighting

3 lights is used to create a normal-looking scene with soft shadows and average colours. Using a 3-light setup to provide normal lighting across an entire object, the exact opposite of chiaroscuro. This is used in the most 'normal' scenes with any object in focus.

Chiaroscuro lighting

Chiaroscuro is characterised by harsh lighting that creates an extreme contrast between different areas of shot so that there is extreme blacks and whites.

High key lighting
High key lighting uses harsh, bright lights to reduce contrast in a scene. Giving the scene a white-washed, clean look and does not have any shadows in frame. Low key lighting is the opposite of this.

Backlighting
Backlighting is when the scene is lit directly from behind, where it is used to create a silhouette. It is often used to make a scene seem romantic.

Natural lighting
This can either be the natural light coming from the sun but can also refer to a light source that has a light yellow or white hue.

Artificial lighting
A light that comes intentionally from man-made light sources, for example light bulbs. They often have orange or a blue-green hue.

Gender textual analysis of a clip from 'The Fall' . Click to view

Although I completed this as part of my study of the representation of gender for my AS exam, it is relevant to the my coursework as, in planning for this, I will need to consider how the representation of gender is constructed through the use of camera shots, mise-en-scene, editing and sound. This will hopefully enable me to represent characters in a variety of different ways in my film opening.